Mark Wood

One of the promising hit-the-deck bowlers to have emerged from England, Mark Wood hails from Ashington in Northumberland, which is also the birthplace of his fast bowling idol, Stephen Harmison. Though not as hostile as Harmison, Wood is still a fine bowler who can click 145 km/hr on a consistent basis and hurry batters with his pace. Though he can seam the ball, he relies more on his pace to unsettle opposition batters.

Hailing from Northumberland, Wood played for them between 2008-10. He went on to join Durham in 2011 and impressed in his very first season. It was during a time when Paul Collingwood was promoting the young talents that helped Wood immensely. 

On the back of some consistent performances in the domestic circuit, Wood bagged his maiden Test call-up during the series against New Zealand in 2015. He was quite exceptional in his debut series and bagged 14 wickets in the series. Despite his brilliant debut series, he was overlooked for the third Ashes Test. Despite some injuries here and there, Wood continued to be on the selection radar owing to his skiddy nature and pace. 

Injuries have been a part and parcel of any fast bowler’s life, and Mark Wood is no exception. He emerged as a potent option for England post the 2015 World Cup. Despite a constant struggle with injuries, Wood cemented his place in the team ahead of the next World Cup, held at home. 

The tearaway pacer was quite exceptional during their triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign, bagging 18 wickets in the ICC event. Later, he was snapped up by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 IPL Auctions but managed to play just a solitary match.

After missing out on the 2019 Ashes and the tour of New Zealand, Wood made a strong return to England’s Test side during the third Test of the 2019–20 South Africa series, stepping in after injuries to James Anderson and Jofra Archer. 

In 2022, Wood was selected for the T20 World Cup in Australia, where he was clocked as the tournament’s fastest bowler. Although an untimely injury ruled him out of the knockout stages, England clinched the title, making Wood one of just six players to win both the 2019 ODI and 2022 T20 World Cups.

During the 2022 IPL auction, Wood was signed by the Lucknow SuperGiants, but he had to withdraw from the tournament due to an elbow injury.

In the 2023 Ashes, Wood returned for the third Test and was named Player of the Match after delivering a game-changing performance. He picked up a combined total of 7 wickets for 100 runs and smashed a fiery 40 off just 16 balls with the bat.

While injuries have been a recurring hurdle in his career, Mark Wood remains one of the most fearsome fast bowlers England has produced. When fit and firing, his raw pace and aggression make him a true game-changer in any format.

(As of April 2025)